According to the twitter of Gintama director Takamatsu Shinji, there were personnel changes in TV Tokyo that led to anime producer Azuma Fukashi leaving the anime production department and being promoted to the counselor of the management strategy office. Azuma had been in charge of the production of TV Tokyo's anime programs since 1999. Takamatsu said that Azuma had protected the Gintama anime from internal and external pressures and his promotion was totally unexpected for the staff of Gintama.